The Yule Ball
by mkala
Summary: A different version of the events leading up to the Yule Ball, from Hermiones perspective.


Hermione Granger was sitting in a little alcove of the library trying to complete her transfiguration homework. She seemed to spend the majority of her free time hiding in the library, whether it be from a ranting Ron or brutish Bulgarians. It seemed that whenever anyone from Durmstrang saw her, Krum would then appear. She suspected he had them on the lookout for her. She wasn't sure what to do. She had never had anyone chase her this way. And now with the ball having been announced she was hiding even more, having heard a rumor he was going to ask her. What was she supposed to do, say _" I'm sorry Mr. super-rich-and-famous Krum, I'm just not that into you. In fact, I think I'm in love with someone else?" _Never! She was just going to hide out until either someone else asked her (HA) or it was too close to the ball and he had to ask someone else. After all, he couldn't go dateless!

She was shooed out by a patrolling perfect a little bit later, warned to make it back to her common room before curfew. Once she walked in she immediately wanted to walk out when she saw Harry and Ron, who appeared to be arguing with George and Fred. Apparently the twins wanted to borrow Pigwidgeon, Ronalds annoyingly hyper owl. She wondered again why they didn't just buy their own owl. Surely the money they won at the cup wasn't gone already?

She tuned them out as she settled into the chair across from Harry. She picked up her book to continue reading until she heard something to make her look up curiously.

"Nose out, Ron, or I'll burn that for you too," said Fred, waving his wand threateningly. "So . . . you lot got dates for the ball yet?"

"Nope," said Ron.

"Well, you'd better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will be gone," said George

"Who're you going with, then?" said Ron.

"Angelina," said George promptly, without a trace of embarrassment.

"What?" said Ron, taken aback.

Of course they already had dates, Hermione thought, the twins aren't nearly as clueless as Ron and Harry. They can even be charming when they wanted.

"You've already asked her?" Ron asked suspiciously, like he thought he George was pulling his leg.

"Good point," said George. He turned his head and called across the common room, "Oi! Angelina!"

Angelina, who had been chatting with Alicia Spinnet near the fire, looked over at him.

"What?" she called back.

"Want to come to the ball with me?"

Angelina gave the group an appraising sort of look, like she was questioning his motives as well.

"All right, then," she said, and she turned back to Alicia and carried on chatting with a bit of a grin on her face.

"There you go," said Fred to Harry and Ron, "piece of cake."

"Well what about you then?" Ron said angrily, spinning to eye his other brother. Clearly he didn't like the idea of them both getting dated before him.

"I'm Still weighing my options" said Fred casually, surprising the group. "Lots of great girls to consider" he continues, looking around the room appraisingly, pausing to glance at several groups of girls, including Hermione. "I'm sure you noticed he said to Ron whispering something she couldn't hear in his ear, something that made Ron's face turn bright red as he tried to sputter an answer.

He got to his feet, yawning, and said, "Well if you're sure we can use Pig we'll get a move on then. We'd better use a school owl, George, come on. . . ."

They left. Ron calmed himself down from whatever the twins had done to him

"We should get a move on, you know . . . ask someone. He's right. We don't want to end up with a pair of trolls."

Hermione let out a sputter of indignation.

"A pair of . . . what, excuse me?"

"Well — you know," said Ron, shrugging. "I'd rather go alone than with — with Eloise Midgen, say."

"Her acne's loads better lately — and she's really nice!"

"Her nose is off-center," said Ron.

"Oh I see," Hermione said, bristling. "So basically, you're going to take the best-looking girl who'll have you, even if she's completely horrible, Instead of trying to find a nice girl who might actually be into you?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing, when had Ron turned into such a pig?

"Er — yeah, that sounds about right," said Ron.

"I'm going to bed," Hermione snapped, and she swept off toward the girls' staircase without another word.


End file.
